Phillies Blog, Baseball News, Trade Rumors & Spirits

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Beer nuts: Halladay has a new workout buddy

CSNPhilly.com has learned that Roy Halladay worked out at Citizens Bank Park while in town to attend yesterday’s Sportwriters banquet.

Hey, Kyle Kendrick … Jealous? Word has it that Halladay joined teammate Cliff Lee for a quick workout down at the Bank yesterday, marking the first work-related function the two aces have performed together as comrades. Lee relocated to a condo in Rittenhouse Square this winter while Halladay makes his home not far from the Phillies’ spring training facilities in Clearwater. The Phillies media department also reported that Halladay was seen trudging through the outfield snow this morning. CSNPhilly’s John Finger notes that Halladay, Lee and Shane Victorino, also in town to collect a humanitarian award, are likely to stay grounded in Philly while they wait out the latest winter weather event. Meanwhile back in Florida, Halladay’s usual workout sidekick, Kendrick, is left to entertain the bevy of wide-eyed early arrivals like Justin De Fratus, Michael Schwimer and Italian Stallion Jason Grilli. Hide your loved ones, Ybor City.

The Daily Durbin: For the fourth time this winter, Chad Durbin appears unlikely to resign with the Phillies. The first subtle hint occurred when he was not offered arbitration and became a free agent. The second sign came when the club resigned Jose Contreras. The third and near-final straw was broken when the Phillies agreed to terms with J.C. Romero. The final nail in the coffin was hammered when Ruben Amaro Jr. suggested the Phillies are comfortable with the players they have. In other words, Durbin will be back in red pinstripes by the weekend.

Television schedule announced: The Phillies on Tuesday released the television breakdown for the upcoming season. Every game will be televised. Comcast SportsNet will carry 103 games, and the Comcast Network will air three games. MyPHL17 will air 45 games, including the season opener against Houston on April 1. ESPN will broadcast two Sunday games, and FOX will carry nine Saturday games in the regular season. (via CSNPhilly.com)

58 Comments

"How do you send a starter with a lifetime record of 35 - 24 and an ERA well under 5 "to the pen"? All Kendrick does is pitch to a winning record and maintain what appears to be a fine attitude and resolve (heck, I'd get up at 4:30 AM to train with Doc, too!)."

I remember going to an A's-Phillies game back in 2008 & being distraught to learn that it was Kyle Kendrick's turn in the rotation. He ended up pitching 8 innings of 4-hit shutout ball -- probably the best start of his entire career.

I made a pitching schedule based on the likely fact that the rotation will be Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, Hamels and Blanton. That way when I look for games I will pick the games based on who I want to see that day. I already chose a game against the Brewers that I've predicted will be Halladay vs. Greinke...I have to say. I'm pretty psyched

Do you guys think they will skip Blanton/Kendrick's after days off a lot this season?

No. They only did it once or twice last year, and they're not going to add innings to the big 4 unnecessarily. It would be nice if the plan to see a particular pitching matchup works out, but one rainout and the whole thing goes out the window.

@Krukker - Yeah I know, I amend it during the season. I did it last year and it was actually pretty acurate. Hopefully these two stick - May 22nd Lee vs. Texas and July 3rd Halladay vs. Toronto (actually in Toronto this year)

It's nice if you can do that and not have to buy tickets far in advance, like you do for Phils home games. I normally see them on the road, and I normally buy them at the gate or from stubhub on the day of the game. When every game is a sellout, you don't really have that option.

The Padres have designated Oscar Salazar for assignment. I mention this, not because he's any good, but because he has played every position except pitcher, catcher, and CF in his career. If that profile doesn't scream, "Future Phillies acquisition," I don't know what would.

I have a Sunday ticket plan, so one would think that I'd see a good mix of Phils' pitchers. But I think I've seen Moyer and Blanton a lot more than the others. Funny thing is, the Phils win many more times than they lose when I'm at the game, so I won't complain

The demand for Game 2 tix is revving off the charts as peeps are positing that it might be Lee's first start in Philly since the 09 World Series. Three buds and I broke down and paid the huge mark up on stubhub and we have our fingers crossed that Charlie will pitch Lee second although some are saying that he might pitch Lee fourth to bookend the 5th starter with Halladay and Lee. Of course it's great to root for my team with any of our star pitchers on the hill but it would be awesome cool if my investment in Game Two tix results in seeing Lee's '2011 debut in a Phillies uniform!

I don't buy tickets too far in advance so, I generally pick based on the starting pitcher. Saw Schilling pitch his last game for the Phils that way. I did that with Hamels his rookie year for a game in Wrigley, got hammered hte night before, discovered I left my Amex somewhere, and by the time I found it and got to Wrigley, Hamels had already given up like ten runs and was out of the game. Saw Cory Lidle pitch in Oakland once. Showed up late for that one (I swear, those are the only two times I missed the first pitch plus Mike Schmidt Night sometime in the late 80s), missed Rollins hit a lead off homer, and then watched Kirk Saarlos and others pitch a shutout from there on. Got a cool hat, though.

The most notable experience I can remember seeing a Phils' pitcher was my dad surprising me with tickets to Pat Combs' MLB debut at the Vet in Sept. '89 vs. the Pirates. Needless to say I was psyched to see a guy I had seen in Reading a few times.

He pitched 6 shutout innings and looked like he really was going to be a solid starter for years to come after that Sept.

Tirade:

Another experience where I went to see a specific starter is when I came down from Boston in '00 to catch a Phils' game at the Vet.

Saw Ashby start a game in May vs. Rockies. Crowd was already on Ashby from the start, he got bombed (think he gave up 7 or 8 runs and didn't get out of the 4th), and flipped off the crowd as he was leaving to one of the loudest 'boos' I have ever heard at a Phils' game. Guy in front of me was just screaming 'F@ck you Ashby' repeatedly. The good old bad days.

If you want to avoid the Blanton / KK start, Just buy 2 games in a row. Baring injuries, you'll be guaranteed to see one of the 4 guys from Mt. Philmore. As the time gets closer, you can sell the one you don't want.

awh: Interesting piece. Also interesting to note is the last team to feature 5 200-IP starters, the 1980 Oakland A's.

Every member of their quintent -- Matt Keough, Brian Kingman, Rick McCatty, Steve Langford, Mike Norris -- suffered arm injuries within the next 2 seasons and were washed up as major leaguers by 1984, even though there were still in their 20s.

Best vet game was the first inter league series vs the Yankees in 97'. I went to the third game(when it was 3 bucks to get into the 700 level) and it actually was a good turn out since the last place Phillies were on the verge of sweeping the first place Yankees. A few Yankees fans made the mistake of talking a little too much smack in the 7th and had to run out of there after getting punched a couple of times. Hard to be tough when your outnumbered 100 to 2.

But Eskin said that Halladay resented Lee, right? How could they possibly work out together?

On a serious note, I've gone to 8 Phils games the last 2 years and had to watch Moyer or KK every time...until I decided to stick around Philly for Halladay's Sunday start after watching DiceK almost no-hit the Phils, figuring that their luck had to change. Instead I watched the Red Sox bomb Halladay in the rain...bad decision.

PhilliesDude: "some are saying Lee will start 4th to bookend with Halladay around the 5th starter"

Where have you heard that? I haven't at all. But now that I think about it - I dont think there has been any definitive talk from the Phils about any rotation other than Doc is #1 - and technically never heard that either, just common sense.

I remembered Blanton starting the game against the Dodgers when Chooch beat Broxton in the 9th because I was at the game.

Looking through his starts, he also started the game against Cincinnati (7/9) when Dobbs and Ransom hit 9th inning HRs and Howard won it in the 10th, the one-game road trip to Colorado (9/2) when the Phillies scored 9 runs in the 7th capped off by an Utley slam, and the September game vs. Washington (9/19) when Werth hit a walk-off HR.

He also started both Dodgers Game 4s: the Matt Stairs game and the Jimmy Rollins game.

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I woke up, looked out the window and barely could get to my laptop. I was so depressed. I opened BL'er and saw Halladay's shining face and re-read the comments. I have decided to put on my ice skates with a bag of rock salt on my back and seed the neighborhood walkways. Thanks Beerleaguer.

If you live in Fargo and have satellite TV, you can see the Phillies with the right package. Not so here in Scranton where the Phillie Games are blacked out. Come on Comcast, open the games up to Satellite. It's more exposure for your advertisers.